Spoke-swaging machine.



No. 664,435. Patented Dec. 25, I900.

c. E. nosems.

SPOKE SWAGING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1900.) (No Model.) 4 Sheath-Shut l.

m: NORRIS PETERS 00,. Mormjmu WASHINGTON. a. c,

No. 664,435. Patented 1m. 25, I900.

c. a. noaams;

SPOKE SWAGING MACHINE.

(Applicnfion mm Sept. 14, 1900.

(No l lodol.) 4 Shanta-Sheet 2.

' Illlllllllllllli llllifillllll Patented Dec. 25, I900.-

C. E. ROBERTS. SPOKESWAGING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 14, 1900.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

No. 664,435. Patented Dec. 25, I900.

- C. E. ROBERTS. v

SPOKE SWAGING MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept 14, 1900.

(No lloflol.) 4 Sheets- 350 4.

@ggm/w/ awazz/w/ UNITED, STATES PATENT ()EEIoE.

CHARLES E. ROBERTS, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

.SPOKE-SWAGING 'MACHIIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,435, dated December 25, 1900.

I Application filed September 14, 1900 Serial No. 30,017. (No model.)

L0 all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States, residing in Oak Park, in the county of Oook'and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spoke-Swaging Machines, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of an improved machine for swaging the spokes of bicycle-wheels. In it I actuate the movable dies by means of knuckle-joints or toggles.

The nature of the invention is fully disclosed in the description given below and is also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan thereof partially broken away. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on a line extending from front to rear of the machine. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on the lines 4 4 and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 3; and Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views.

In the drawings, A A represent stationary die-blocks, each provided with a swaging-die B and each independently adjustable toward the work by its own adjusting-screw A. The die-blocks A, which in the machine illustrated are four in number, are mounted in an adjustable slide A supported upon the horizontal frame member W and confined thereon by the plate W. The slide A is adjusted toward the work by the eccentric A upon the shaft A and is moved back in the opposite direction by a spring A. Shaft A may be operated by the hand-lever A The movable dies 13, opposing the dies B, are supported in sliding blocks 0, preferably two in each block, and each of such slides is reciprocated in one direction by springs G and in the other direction by a toggle. The members of one of the toggles are shown at D and D and the members of the other at D and D'"". The toggle members D and D each bear at one end against one of the slides C,

while the members D and D"? each bear againsta separate adjustable abutment-block D provided with an adjusting-wedge D inserted between the block and the end portion of the frame member W. The toggle members D and D are united to a wrist-pin D carried by the lever D, operated by an cecentric D upon a shaft D such eccentric acting tolengthen and shorten the toggle by carrying the meeting ends of the members in both directions across the center line occupied by them when parallel and fully extended, and as the eccentric thus actuates the toggle in both directions at each revolution of the shaft D the toggle is twice fully extended and imparts two blows to thespokes during the same time. The members D and D, forming the other toggle, are precisely like the members D and D and are joined to a wrist-pin D carried by a lever D and operated by an eccentric D, carried by the shaft D all these parts being similarin construction and operation to the corresponding parts employed with the other toggle, with the single exception that the eccentric D is so placed on the shaft as to work oppositely to the eccentric D that is to say, the centers of the two eccentrics are at opposite sides of the axis of the shaft, so that while eccentric D is moving one toggle in one direction the eccentric D will move the other to le in the opposite direction. As both eccentrics have the same throw and the parts balance each other, it will thus be seen that both toggles will pass their centers sim ultaneously, so that simultaneous blows by the dies Will be caused; also, that both toggles will reach the limit of their shortening movements at the same instant; but as these shortening movements are always in opposite directions each neutralizes the jar or shock caused by the other. Such shocks would be very perceptible were either toggle used without the other. The

arresting of the toggles at the limits of their bending or shortening movements is thus rendered comparatively noiseless and imparts but slight vibration to the machine, so that the operation of the machine is not rendered unpleasant to the workmen in the shop nor does the machine shake itself injuriously, as

would be the case with a machine having only one toggle or an uneven or unbalanced number of toggles.

I prefer to arrange the toggles horizontally, as shown at Fig. 3. This construction, whereby the jar caused by arresting one toggle is counteracted or balanced by the arresting of another toggle moving in the opposite direction, may be carried to any extent deemed de-' sirable, the only essential being that an even number of toggles be present in the machine, so that the toggles at one side of the center line may not preponderate over or overbalance those at the other side. The eccentricshaft D receives power from the drive-pulley D", and a balance-wheelD is also preferably applied thereto. a

The spokes to be operated upon are inserted in the machine through bell-mouth guides E, and being passed down between the dies are entered into individual chucks E, revolving in bearings E attached to a vertically-sliding carriage E movingin stationary ways E upon theupright W of the machine-frame. The carriage E encircles a vertical screwshaft F andis also provided with two threaded sectional nuts F F, placed on opposite sides of said screw and movable toward and from the same by a slotted hand-lever F pivoted to the carriage at F When these sectional nuts are in engagement with the screw F, the

carriage is fed down by the rotation of the screw at the speed desired for the longitudinal movement of the spokes. The rotation of this screw-shaft is obtained from the main shaft D by means of a belt F passing over the pulley F upon said shaft under an idler F around the grooved wheel F upon the screw-shaft and thence under another idler corresponding to the idler F back to the pulley F". It will thus be seen that the speed of the screw-shaft bears a fixed relation to the speed of the main shaft, which carries the toggle-eccentrics; but this fixed relation may of course be varied by changing the size of one or both of the pulleys F and F Then the spokes are inserted in the chucks, the

carriage carrying the latter is at its uppermost position, and the feed of the screw-shaft is consequently in a downward direction. At the conclusion of the operation upon the spokes the n lit-sections are moved out of their engagement with the screw-shaft, so that the carriage may be returned to its starting position under the power of the weight G, suspended in the loop of a cord Gr, having one end attached to a stationary part of the machine and the other end passed over a pulley G and thence to the carriage, to which it is attached at G Of course other means for returning the carriage may be employed in lieu of the weight and cord.

The chucks are rotated while the swag'ing is being done by providing them with intermeshing pinions H, as seen at Fig. 4, and imparting motion to one of them by means of the pinion H upon the screw-shaft. This last-mentioned pinion is fast upon a sleeve H splined upon the screw-shaft and rotating therewith.

VVhen the sectional nuts are closed upon the shaft, a catch J, (best shown at Fig. 1,) attached to the carriage, engages a projec-' tion J upon the lever F? and holds said lever in its acting position against the power of the spring J whose tension is exerted in the direction said lever is moved when releasing the sectional nuts. This catch encounters a cam J when the carriage reaches its lowest position and is thrown out of engagement with the lever thereby, so that the lever is then operated by spring J thereby operating the nuts and allowing the carriage to rise under the power of the weight or other lifting mechanism, the whole operation being automatic. Before the carriage is allowed to return to its starting position the dies are also opened by moving the stationary dieblocks back from their acting positions, and this may be done automatically by appropriate mechanism, which I prefer to construct as follows:

The eccentric-shaft A at the end opposite to that carrying the handlever A is provided with a crank K, carrying a pin K. A catchlever K pivoted at K engages the pin K when the die-blocks are moved into their acting positions and locks them. A depending rod K is attached to one end of this catchlever and extends to the bottom of the machine, where it passes through a stationary guide K This rod also carries a stop K, which may be adjustable upon it to vary the time at which it will operate, and a liftingspring K encircles the rod between the stop and the stationary guide, asshown. As the carriage nears the end of its descending movement the pin or projection K upon the carriage encounters said stop, forcing the rod down and swinging the catch-lever, so as to free it from its engagement with the crank K. As soon as this has taken place the spring K attached to the projection'K at the other end of shaft A partially rotates the shaft, so as to permit the spring A to open the dies.

In order to prevent any rising of the chuckcarriage until after the dies have been opened, I provide a safety mechanism, which may be constructed as follows: L represents an elbowlever pivoted at L upon a stationary part of the machine and provided with a spring L A stop L limits the throw of the lever in one direction. Upon the carriage is a pin or projection L bearing upon the vertical member of the lever. This pin deflects the lever as the carriage descends until it has passed entirely below the end of the lever, when the spring will force the lever back to its normal position, so that the end of the latter will stand directly over said pin. The engagement which now takes place between the pin and lever will hold the carriage down in its lowermost position, notwithstanding the release of the engagement between the nut-sections and the feed-screw, until the eccentricshaft A' is reversed in opening the dies, at which time the projecting arm K will encounter the upper end of the lever Land force it outof engagement with the pin L upon the carriage. In this manner Iinsure the retention of the carriage until after the opening of the dies has taken place.

A swinging U-shaped frame M (shown at Figs. 1, 3, 5, and 6) is pivoted to the carriage and provided with a handle M and with upwardly-projecting rods M Th se rods enter the lower ends of the chucks, and by swinging the frame upward the rods serve to open the chucks and release the spokes. This device is used, of course, only when removing the spokes from the machine.

The carriage feed screw operates constantly, and to avoid any consequent downward pull uponthe spokes while they are in the embrace of the dies I provide forlost vertical motion by the chucks in their bearings, as seen at 0, Fig. 3, so that the downward movements of the spokes will be intermittent, notwithstanding the carriage moves constantly.

In order to enable the operator to position the spokes at the same vertical position in all the chucks, I provide agaging device or indicator P, the top edge of which is horizontal and is arranged in the proper plane above the bell-mouth guides to indicate the proper height at which the upper ends of the spokes should be positioned. This device may be adjusted, as it is supported in the plate to by a set-screw, as seen at Fig. 3.

It will be understood that if the toggles were operated at a slow speed no objectionable jarring might occur, perhaps; but in my machine I operate the main shaft at a high speedsome twelve hundred or fifteenhum dred revolutions per minute-so that the toggles are expanded and contracted at twice that speed. This rate of operation would, unless the jarring is prevented, quickly cause the destruction of the machine and be very objectionable to all the workmen in the immediate neighborhood.

I claim 1. The combination in a swaging-machiue of a pair of horizontally-arranged oppositelymoving toggles, a horizontal shaft arranged at right angles to the toggles and carrying a pair of eccentrics for operating said toggles, said eccentrics being positioned with their centers at opposite sides-of the axis of the shaft, vertically-faced dies of which two are stationary and two are movable, the latter being actuated by said toggles, and a vertically-moving carriage provided with rotating chucks for the articles being swaged, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the dies and their actuating devices, of a carriage provided with means for holding and rotating the spokes, means for moving the carriage so as to feed the spokes through the dies, means for stopping the carriage, a cam for closing and a spring for opening the dies, and means for returning the carriage to its starting position, substantially as specified.

. 3. The combination with the dies and the carriage for feeding the spokes through the dies, of means for actuating the carriage, means for releasing the carriage from its actuating means, means for returning the carriage to its starting position, a cam for closing and a spring for opening the dies, and means foldetaining the carriage from returning until after the opening of the dies, substantially as specified.

4. The combination with the dies and spokecarriage, of means for returning the carriage to its starting position, a cam for closing and a spring for opening the dies, and means for detaining the carriage from returning until after the opening of the dies, substantially as specified.

5. The combination with the dies and spokecarriage, of means for returning the carriage to its starting position, and acam for closing and-a spring for opening the dies, substantially as specified.

6. The combination with the spoke-carriage and its spoke holding and rotating devices, of stationary and movable dies, and means for actuating the movable dies in one direction, consisting of the toggles and eccentrics for moving the toggles, and springs for moving said dies in the other direction, substantially as specified.

7. The combination with the dies of the spoke-carriage, means for feeding the carriage without intermission while the machine is in operation, and spoke-chucks upon the carriage having provision for vertical lost motion in their bearings, substantially as specified.

8. The spoke-swaging machine consisting of two moving dies, two stationary dies opposed one to each of said moving dies, two independent toggles each operating one of said moving dies, means for operating said toggles simultaneously but in opposite directions, and means for feeding the spokes between the dies, whereby the thrust of one eccentric neutralizes that of the other and the machine is rendered steady at a very high speed, substantially as specified.

9. The spoke-swaging machine consisting of two moving dies, two stationary dies opposed one to each of said moving dies, two independent toggles each operating one of said moving dies, separate eccentrics on the same shaft for operating said toggles simultaneously but in opposite directions, and means for feeding the spokes between the dies, whereby the thrust of one of the eccentries neutralizes that of the other, and the machine is rendered steady at a very high speed, substantially as specified.

CHARLES E. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

Enw. S. EVARTS, H. M. MUNDAY.

IIO 

